High-speed LAN technologies using copper cables include 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet), 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet), and 10GBASE-T. These high-speed LAN technologies include link partner transceivers that can communicate, for example, over a bi-directional transmission channel. An exemplary transmission channel includes four pairs of copper wire.
Proper operation of the Ethernet link partner transceivers requires them to be synchronized. Synchronization can be obtained by one link partner phase-locking a clock to data signals transmitted by the other link partner. The transmitter and receiver processing of the transceiver link partners are clocked by the phase-locked clock.
In order to maintain synchronization, and to minimize latency of data transmission between the link partners, the transmitting and receiving link partners of 10BASE-T systems maintain full operational power even when no data transmission is occurring. However, continually maintaining full operation of the transceiver link partners consumes significant amounts of power, typically, the majority of the power consumption required to maintain the link between the transceiver link partners.
It is desirable to have a system, apparatus and method of reducing the power dissipated by electrically connected transceivers without substantially impacting the operating performance of the transceivers.